Germany’s Goetze Seals World Cup After Market-Moving Deal Flops

A German fan reacts as he watches the FIFA World Cup 2014 final match between Germany and Argentina during an outdoor screening in Berlin, on July 13, 2014. Photographer: John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images

July 14 (Bloomberg) -- Substitute Mario Goetze ended a dud
of a season with Germany’s most valuable goal in 24 years.

Bayern Munich’s 22-year-old attacking midfielder, dropped
by both his club and national team, controlled a pass on his
chest and volleyed in for a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the
World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro.

The strike with seven minutes of extra time remaining gave
Die Mannschaft its first World Cup since taking its third title
in Italy in 1990 -- two years before Goetze was born.

Goetze was one of the most talked about players in Germany
last year when in April he moved to Bayern Munich from Borussia
Dortmund for 37 million euros ($50 million), sending his former
team’s shares down 2.7 percent.

The biggest financial transaction between two Bundesliga
teams came a few weeks before they faced off in the Champions
League final in May 2013.

Goetze struggled to establish himself at Bayern, playing in
barely half of its league games last season. Even so, the team
won the Bundesliga in record time and reached the Champions
League semifinal.

Germany coach Joachim Loew, who had dropped Goetze after
the second World Cup game, said he “had a good feeling” about
him entering as an 88th-minute substitute for 36-year-old
striker Miroslav Klose.

Better Than Messi

“I said to Goetze: OK, show the world you are better than
Messi and decide the World Cup,” Loew said, referring to
Argentina’s four-time World Player of the Year who hit wide with
a second-half shot.

Andre Schuerrle set up Goetze, evading three Argentine
players on the left wing and chipping the ball into the penalty
box. Goetze cushioned the ball on his chest and fired past
goalkeeper Sergio Romero.

Seven minutes later the game was over. Germany players
piled on top of each other on the field, while their Argentine
counterparts stood alone and stared ahead of them. Goetze went
over to hug his girlfriend, who stepped out of the crowd of
74,738 onto the field.

“It wasn’t a simple tournament, or year, for me,” Goetze
said. “I owe a lot to my family and my girlfriend who always
believed in me.”

The goal marks a surprise turnaround for Goetze’s season,
according to Julio Maldini, a soccer analyst for Mediaset
Espana, a Spanish broadcaster.

“Soccer is like that, you can’t tell what’s going to
happen until the end,” Maldini said. “It’s indecipherable.”